Hey everyone. I got some time to do the latest update to the board software, but it meant that all the old modifications and styles wouldn't work anymore. So, here you have the newest iteration of LabourTalk. Please let me know by Private Message if you run into any issues with the new styling. Some new features on the board are:

Latest HTML5 Responsive Styling - You can now see a new, more modern styling on the board. Along with this, you can resize the browser to see the board change with it. The board is now functional on all sizes of screens, including your cell phone, table and desktop/laptop.

Post Sharing - Although you could previously, the new layout means the sharing icons are more visible on the lower right hand corner of each post. Click your favourite social media outlet to share the desired post with them.

Multiple Themes - Previously there was only one theme in an attempt to lower the workload when modifications were put in place. Fortunately, the new modification system is much simpler to implement and we now have multiple colour options for you to enjoy. You can change these from your User Control Panel under the Board Settings heading.

Announcements - Announcements can now be posted here (where you're seeing this one) and, in most cases, can be dismissed. To dismiss them, please click the "X" in the top right corner of this box.

Collapsing Categories - Categories, such as News & Announcements or Welcome (below), can be collapsed to clear up some of the clutter. This state should be maintained as long as you're logged in.

Contract talks between FPI, unionized workers, at standstill over wages

ST. JOHN'S, N.L. (CP) - The livelihoods of 2,000 Newfoundlanders employed by Atlantic Canada's largest seafood processor remained in question Tuesday after collective bargaining between FPI Ltd. (TSX:FPL) and its unionized workers broke down.
Negotiations that resumed Monday with the help of a provincially appointed conciliator were quickly derailed after FPI tabled an offer calling for a $2.66 reduction in hourly wages. "That's a huge hit they're proposing," said Earle McCurdy, president of the Fish, Food and Allied Workers union.

"This proposal, strictly on the wage rate alone, would reduce their annual income by about . . . $4,000. And you're talking people with maybe $18,000 in annual income."

FPI, whose groundfish operations are on hold, is seeking concessions as the division has recorded losses of about $50 million over the last four years - an average of more than $1 million a month. The talks were the first between the company and union in two months.

"We understand that nobody likes to talk about concessions," John Risley, a director serving on the company's board, said in an interview from Halifax.

"But on the other hand, we need to get on with what is a reasonable wage in the current circumstances."

FPI workers, who have been without a contract for a year, receive an average hourly wage of $13.66 - the highest paid in Newfoundland's seafood-processing industry. The company's wage reduction proposal would bring them in line with industry standards.

McCurdy, who will meet Wednesday with provincial Fisheries Minister Tom Rideout to help resolve the dispute, said FPI employees deserve to be the best paid given the company's size.

Contract talks between FPI, unionized workers, at standstill over wages

ST. JOHN'S, N.L. (CP) - The livelihoods of 2,000 Newfoundlanders employed by Atlantic Canada's largest seafood processor remained in question Tuesday after collective bargaining between FPI Ltd. (TSX:FPL) and its unionized workers broke down.
Negotiations that resumed Monday with the help of a provincially appointed conciliator were quickly derailed after FPI tabled an offer calling for a $2.66 reduction in hourly wages. "That's a huge hit they're proposing," said Earle McCurdy, president of the Fish, Food and Allied Workers union.

"This proposal, strictly on the wage rate alone, would reduce their annual income by about . . . $4,000. And you're talking people with maybe $18,000 in annual income."

FPI, whose groundfish operations are on hold, is seeking concessions as the division has recorded losses of about $50 million over the last four years - an average of more than $1 million a month. The talks were the first between the company and union in two months.

"We understand that nobody likes to talk about concessions," John Risley, a director serving on the company's board, said in an interview from Halifax.

"But on the other hand, we need to get on with what is a reasonable wage in the current circumstances."

FPI workers, who have been without a contract for a year, receive an average hourly wage of $13.66 - the highest paid in Newfoundland's seafood-processing industry. The company's wage reduction proposal would bring them in line with industry standards.

McCurdy, who will meet Wednesday with provincial Fisheries Minister Tom Rideout to help resolve the dispute, said FPI employees deserve to be the best paid given the company's size.

On the other hand, if you read further in the article, it states that the company has lost $50 million over the last 4 years, an average more than $1 million per month. FPI is also a post bankruptcy company.

... Formed by the federal and provincial governments in 1984 from the bankrupt shells of several previously collapsed private firms, FPI became a publicly traded company three years later....

So, while it may be a hard sell, it may be desperately needed to keep those jobs at all.